Blame it on the Rain
by mysticflakes
Summary: It had all started with the rain: the day when the two of them shared an umbrella for the first time. [Three-Shot] Fic inspired by Singin' in the Rain.
1. Umbrella

Chapter 1: Umbrella

**A/N: Honestly, I originally didn't intend to write this out till I updated my ongoing fics, but this was bugging me so bad. Got a one-shot of Misawa out earlier and now I'm onto a two-shot (or a three-shot); they're an addicting couple to write, really!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ace of Diamond. **

**EDIT: This was inspired by a doujinshi named Singin' in the Rain. A big thank-you to Calico Neko who reminded me to add it in! It's a great doujinshi - if you haven't read it yet and is a _huge _Misawa shipper (like me, heh), you've _got _to check it out! If you aren't, just check it out, anyway, haha. (Cue Miyuki's adorable laughter) Will be posting up the next chapter hopefully by the end of this week!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Sawamura sat down on the steps, a little grumpy as he stared at the gloomy sky: it was already pouring and too late for him to make an attempted run to the clubroom without getting drenched. He had intended to make a dash for the field right after school for pitching practice, but he forgotten about his class duties and his classmates had to drag him back again. He huffed indigantly; like a little bit of rain could stop him! He would make it to practice no matter what!

He started tying his laces, pulling it tight, "Yosh! I can do - "

"You're still here?"

He squeaked - an instinctive action due to a certain catcher's usual antics - and whirling around, he spluttered, obviously flustered by Miyuki's sudden appearance, "M- Miyuki!"

The corner of the catcher's lips lifted slightly as he took his own pair of shoes out. "An ace can't be _that_ timid."

"I am not timid!" Sawamura said defensively, folding his arms, "you just took me by surprise!"

"Sure, sure." He was still having that annoying smirk playing on his lips as he tugged his shoes on, then opened his bag and pulled an umbrella out. Sawamura eyed it for a moment, then huffed again and looked away.

Miyuki chuckled. "My umbrella is big enough, Sawamura."

Why the hell was he telling him the size of his umbrella? Weirdo. "Big enough? Of course it's big!"

The dark-haired boy stared at him for a moment, then started laughing. "God, you never fail to amuse me!" He pulled the clasp, pushed the button and the umbrella slid to the hilt to an open canopy. "Get under it, stupid."

Sawamura pursed his lips; Miyuki offering help just like this was too good to be true. What did he have under his sleeve? The catcher arched a brow, jerking his head to his direction. "Come on, I won't bite."

"Two guys sharing an umbrella is just weird," he protested, gesturing wildly with his arms in a pathetic attempt to emphasize his point, "people will say weird stuff about us!"

"Don't you want to practice your pitches?" Miyuki asked, grinning, "or do you want to allow Furuya to overtake you since he's probably already there?"

Oh, hell no! Sawamura was next to Miyuki in a flash. The latter looked ahead, though Sawamura could tell he was fighting back a grin. Ugh, he would never know what Miyuki was thinking - not that he wanted to; the catcher was one sadistic person, after all. "Come on, you've got to stand on my right. This way both our dominant arms won't be wet."

Sawamura did as he asked, and as they stepped out to the pouring rain and the rain splattered down on the roof of the umbrella, Sawamura allowed himself to feel the relief that Miyuki actually made his offer - then almost regretted it immediately. The remaining few students who were still in school - unfortunately, majority of it being females - squealed when they saw them walking past... sharing a damned umbrella.

"Baseball members have great friendship, don't they?"

- "Oh, look, they're sharing an umbrella! How cute!"

Sawamura fidgeted as his shoulder bumped the catcher's unintentionally, a scowl predominant on his face. "I told you, Miyuki. Look at what other people are saying!"

"I believe the right word would be _listen,_" Miyuki said, making the pitcher splutter indignantly again, face red, "and it's fine - being seen with me is a privilege, isn't it?" At that, he turned and faced Sawamura, who stopped as well because of Miyuki's abrupt halt in his steps. The catcher's lips was tugging into a smug smirk as he leaned a few inches closer to the furiously blushing pitcher, "or are you embarrassed that what they're speculating is true?"

"W- what they are speculating!" He exclaimed, "I - no, I mean, what are they possibly saying!" He was now no longer under the protection of the umbrella, scrambling to make some distance between them and yelling at the amused bespectacled teen while jabbing his finger at him, "Shut up!"

Damn it, he hated how Miyuki can make him so embarrassed! He really didn't know what was going on in Miyuki's head half of the time.

Miyuki raised an arm up in surrender, though the grin was still playing on his lips, "I get it, idiot. Now get back under: you're going to get drenched."

Scowling and grumbling under his breath, Sawamura did as he asked. Their shoulders bumped together again, and Sawamura felt his stomach do a flip. For a moment, in the silence - other than Miyuki's not-so-subtle chuckles, Sawamura could focus on other things other than Miyuki's teasing. He suddenly realized how Miyuki was almost a head taller than him, how there were warm tingles spreading throughout his body where their shoulders touched, how he smelt of fresh lavender and a hint of spiciness - pepper? - and how...

...both the corner of his lips were lifting up to an arrogant grin. "My, Sawamura," he started cheerily, slinging one arm around the poor, unguarded boy who was far too shocked to retaliate, "I didn't know you like my looks so much."

Now that they were closer, the scent got considerably stronger and he felt his stomach clench again, though not uncomfortably; but it was too strange for him to handle. As quickly as he could, he managed to wrench himself out from under the firm hold, gasping, "_Miyuki_!"

"Now, where's the respect for me?" Miyuki asked as he grabbed Sawamura's wrist, pulling him back under the canopy. "And do you really want to get sick?" He didn't really answer; he was too fixated on trying not to notice the heat radiating from where the catcher had gripped him even after he had released his wrist. Sawamura was growing increasingly freaked. What the _hell_ was going on?

"Oi, aren't you supposed to reply your senpai when he asks you a question?"

"You don't even act like a senior!" Sawamura shot back, eyes intent on the clubroom that they were finally approaching. Thank God for that; he would go insane if he had to continue staying under the same umbrella as Miyuki.

"You don't even act like an ace," Miyuki drawled, making Sawamura's mouth to drop open as the latter started making all sorts of incoherent shouts - and of course, he pretended to be oblivious to it and continued, "your pitches still lack a ton of control, Sawamura. You need practice. You can only throw a four-seam now, right?"

Sawamura stopped his obnoxiously loud protests and growled from beside him and Miyuki's eyes widen by a fraction as he dodged an oncoming fist, "Shut up, Miyuki! I will be the ace one day and you'll have to be catching my pitches then!"

Miyuki chuckled, "Haha! I hope I will still be there, Sawamura."

"You - you bastard!" Sawamura yelled, "I won't ever give up on becoming an ace!"

"And that's what makes you fitted for one."

The statement caught Sawamura by surprise and he felt his heart give a little jump. Ignoring the blood rushing to his cheeks, he recovered as fast as he could, declaring, "Wahahaha! Miyuki, I'm going to make you acknowledge me officially one day!"

Miyuki tilted his head towards him, and somehow, the smirk he sent him seemed to be full of implications and Sawamura felt his own breath caught in his throat. Slowly, he lifted his eyes to meet Miyuki's and there seemed to be something off with the way he was looking at him: his eyes were molten and dark and Sawamura felt himself not being able to breathe under his stare.

Miyuki's glasses glinted and he took a step closer to Sawamura, eyes still staying locked with him throughout; the latter was too shell-shocked to move or make any loud exclamations he usually did. His heart was beating abnormally fast with the catcher's face just inches away from his - and he had no idea why. What the hell was he doing anyway?!

A pregnant pause.

"I heard Sawamura's stupid laughter!" Kuramochi's yell was heard approaching them, making both of them snap out of their staring contest and Sawamura scrambled a few feet away from Miyuki for good measure. Kuramochi barreled towards him and pounced on his back, arm going around his neck and putting him in a headlock. "You're late, stupid kohai!"

"Ugh! Senpai, you're choking me!" As he struggled against his senior's hold futilely, he could see Miyuki closing his umbrella and bundling it up before he headed into the clubroom without another word.

"That's the point, Bakamura!"

Sawamura blinked, not really listening to his senpai's yells; what was that just now? He didn't know what exactly happened, but it sure didn't feel normal. Kuramochi finally released Sawamura out of his death grip and the pitcher coughed and took in a huge gulp of air,

"Kuramochi-senpai, were you trying to _kill_ me?"

"Being rude again, aren't you?" Oh, crap. "Just you wait after practice." Kuramochi sent him a rather disturbing smile when Masuko was suddenly appeared behind him.

"Kuramochi, we've to practice," he said. He gave Sawamura a jerk of his head and the latter shot him a grateful look when Kuramochi wasn't looking. The two seniors finally left after the wrestler threatened the weary junior one last time.

He walked into the silent clubroom and threw his bag down on the floor carelessly. He absently noted that Miyuki wasn't in it anymore - probably off to find Furuya... he felt a bitter smile curling his lips. Well, he didn't have the ability to be the starter pitcher yet, right? He'd get the number one on his back soon, and Miyuki would have to catch for him, then!

As he rummaged through his bag for his towel, his thoughts started tracing back to earlier in the afternoon when they were sharing an umbrella - he shook his head. The warm tingles he felt was probably because of the chill of the cold weather and Miyuki's eyes were probably the result of the gloomy weather casting a shadow...

It was all the rain's fault; yes, that was right.

* * *

Sawamura yawned, stretching on his seat lazily as he took the upright book he had set up on his desk - not realizing that it was upside down - and stared at the prints for a moment.

Then he slumped back down on the desk, the teacher continued to drone on and on as he gave up on listening - he really didn't understand a single word. He heard a few groans from around him and his ears finally picked up on the drizzle. Curious, he turned to the window and realized it was starting to rain. He stared at the growing downpour for a moment, then realized in a panic that he forgot his umbrella _again._

He was almost late this morning for practice after all, and he didn't have time to shove an umbrella into his bag. Damn it. This weather was reminding him of what happened a few days ago. He wrinkled his nose; he still couldn't comprehend what happened. After the incident, Miyuki was still acting like a usual jerk, so it must not be bothering him much - though Sawamura wouldn't know for sure. Miyuki was not that easy to see through.

The rain was making pretty streaks down the window panes and the cool waft of air that blew into the classroom from time to time felt so nice. He had no idea how long he had stared in the direction of the window with his book propped on his desk in a poorly-concealed effort to look like he was paying attention when his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket, jolting him out of his admiration of the rain.

_Brrrr._

He chanced a look at the teacher and then took his phone from his pocket.

_Mail from Miyuki_

He scowled; oh, what did that bastard want from him now? He opened the mail and felt his face flush red, though he didn't know why:

_Hey, idiot. Brought your umbrella today? _

Tch! None of your business, jerk! He quickly texted back and slid his phone back into his pocket. Poking fun of him seemed to be Miyuki's favorite pastime; and it wasn't really gratifying to be his target all the time.

* * *

Sawamura grumbled as he dashed down the stairs: he was late for practice again! He would have to spend more time with his tire later tonight to make up for the lost time. The teacher made him stay back to lecture him on how sleeping in class wasn't going to help his failing grades. Like he didn't know! Still scowling, he reached for his shoes -

"Why were you late?"

Whirling around, he found Miyuki leaning against the wall while spinning the umbrella in his hand leisurely.

"W- what are you doing here?"

Miyuki cocked his head to the side. "Waiting for you, of course."

Oh! He felt something warm spread in his chest. Was he offering to help with his practice today? "You aren't practicing with Furuya today?"

He was putting on his shoes in a hurry. It was rare that Miyuki could practice with him, after all. He loved having Chris-senpai catch for him - he was an invaluable friend and mentor he greatly respected, but playing with Miyuki gave him a different feeling. He still didn't know how to describe it.

There was a silence and Sawamura looked up from his shoes when he realized that Miyuki wasn't replying. "Miyuki?"

"...I am practicing with him," Miyuki said blandly. Sawamura felt his gut twist uncomfortably at his reply.

"Oh."

The atmosphere immediately became stagnant and heavy. Sawamura felt something in him churn, making him slightly queasy - he wondered why he even thought Miyuki was waiting for him. Tch! When would he be so good-willed, anyway? "So then, why are you really here?"

A curl of the catcher's lips. "I figured you didn't bring your umbrella."

"I - I told you it was none of your business!" He exclaimed, face red, though he felt strangely warm spreading in his chest, "and I could've brought it!"

"For an idiot like you, an umbrella would be hard to remember."

Sawamura's brow twitched. "You're a real jerk, you know."

Miyuki's eyes twinkled and his lips pulled up to a full grin. "Haha, thank you!"

"It wasn't a compliment!"

Miyuki didn't say anything in return and instead motioned for Sawamura to join him under the umbrella. This time, though with slight hesitation, Sawamura did as he asked without a word.

Miyuki arched a brow as they walked out of the school. "I thought you would protest more."

"You'd make me do it, anyway," Sawamura said, staring intently straight ahead, deliberately not looking the catcher in the eye.

Miyuki chuckled. "Haha! That's unusually perceptive of you."

Their shoulders bumped together as they made their way to the clubroom, with Miyuki's usual teasing and Sawamura's flustered retorts.

It was normal.

Everything could just be blamed on the rain; and at the moment, Sawamura was satisfied with his current explanation.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this! I'm still deciding between a two-shot or a three-shot; gonna see how this goes.. Do drop by a review to tell me your thoughts!**

**-mysticflakes**


	2. Lightning

Chapter 2: Lightning

**A/N: Gonna write this part later, my head's about to hit the keyboard - so I hope you enjoy and I shall be off to bed! Finally back after a long day of school! Typing a chapter in the middle of the night is strangely rejuvenating but it immediately drains you after you finish. Anyway, I have decided to switch it to a three-shot instead (as you can see from the summary); it feels better if I break it up into three parts instead of the two I (wasn't) originally intended. (I don't really plan ahead, actually.) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ace of Diamond.**

* * *

Sawamura was doing his last round around the field when he spotted the second-year catcher leaning against the tree a few feet away, eyes closed as if taking a nap. Tch, he'd wake that idiot out of his snooze right away!

"Ne, Miyuki!" Sawamura yelled as he ran with his trusty tire, "catch for me later!"

Miyuki's eyes didn't open. "I'm playing catch with Furuya."

Ignoring the uneasy clench of his stomach, he forced a beam on his face. "Ah! I see!" He tugged on his cap, casting a shadow over his face. "Fine, then! I can manage without you, anyway."

The catcher's eyes snapped open and turned to face him. "Oh?"

The lazy drawl sounded too arrogant for Sawamura's liking. The latter resisted the urge to make a face at him; hmph! What was with his arrogant attitude, really. As Sawamura opened his mouth to retort, Furuya came running up to the catcher, waving the baseball in his hand. The monster rookie's eyes flickered momentarily to Sawamura but otherwise did not acknowledge his presence.

Sawamura had already clamped his mouth shut, watching their interaction quietly, not aware of that his pace was slowing with his eyes glued to the two.

"Miyuki-senpai! We can play catch now!"

Without another word, Miyuki turned and laughed, slinging his arm over Furuya, "Oi, can't wait for my mitt, can you?"

Sawamura blinked once, twice, eyes hard on the pair that was walking away from him with his hand going to his throat. It was constricting and making him feel sick - did he eat something wrong this morning? He shook his head; he knew having three huge bowls of rice would kill him! Stupid Kuramochi added an extra serving on the third one. He tasted acid on his tongue and swallowed. He'd better be careful with his food next time.

Well, he was finished with his rounds. He placed his tire back on the pile, patting his hand on it almost endearingly before he made his way for the equipment room. Chris had wanted him to practice the cutter today anyway, and even though not having a catcher was disheartening, he'd carry out his instructions. He couldn't wait for Chris-senpai to catch for him again!

A grin tugged on his lips as he took the box of baseballs, making his way to the net, determined to better his control. Perhaps, then, Miyuki would catch for him. He came to Seidou - not that he would let that bastard know - with Miyuki being the driving force, after all. If he didn't earn his place as a pitcher, it'd be difficult to pitch with Miyuki and achieve his goal of being an ace.

"Yosh!" He exclaimed, taking a ball in his hand. He placed his middle and index fingertips directly on the perpendicular seam of the baseball. Chris-senpai had said to check that the horseshoe seam should be facing his ring finger... He felt his brows furrow as he shifted his fingers slightly. Resting his thumb in the centre of the horseshoe seam on the bottom part of the ball, he shifted his stance.

He braced his hand in front of him, turning it to form a wall, pushing one leg forward, his eyes glinted with concentration as he focused on releasing all the body's power at the last moment. He shifted his weight to the pivoted foot and pulled his back leg forward and up -_ now!_

His ball hit the net the next second, springing back a few inches after rebounding and rolling for another few more. Sawamura's brow furrowed. Hm. That didn't feel quite right.

An image of Miyuki laughing with Furuya flashed past his mind. What was _that_ for? He flung a careless pitch, disregarding his posture, then groaned when he realized what a terrible pitch that was - the course was completely off.

_"Ahhh!"_ He groaned, ruffling his hair, "if only there is someone who can catch for me!"

Stupid Miyuki was off with Furuya practicing and he was stuck here with a damned net! This was _so_ unfair!

His ears perked up when he heard footsteps approaching from behind him.

"Eijun-kun!"

A grin split Sawamura's face when he saw the first-year. "Harucchi!"

"I heard you," the younger Kominato brother was fidgeting a little, cheeks slightly red, "I can help catch, if you don't mind. The seniors are having a match right now and we are told to take a rest for a bit."

Sawamura felt his grin stretch wider. "Yeah! Thanks so much, Harucchi! You're the best!"

* * *

Sawamura chanced a quick glimpse at the clock. It was a few hours after official practice ended, but he wanted to stay back for a while more to work on his control. He played terribly in the recent games and then there was his batting skills, too. He didn't want to cause the team to lose runs, or even innings, because of his incompetence. Damn, why was he so good at bunting, anyway? - No, no, focus, Sawamura, focus.

"Slightly off centre..." Sawamura murmured to himself, checking his grip again. Spin the ball hard with his middle and index fingers... he flung it out of his grasp and the ball hit the net with a light bounce.

He tilted his head to the side, looking down at his hand. A small smile flitted to his face and he glanced at the ball that was now rolling back to his feet, and he clenched his left hand. Yes, he could do this. He could feel it.

Picking up the ball and readying himself, he felt his fingers instinctively get into place due to the countless amount of balls he had thrown, then he pivoted his foot -

"Sawamura."

"Ah!" Hand halting mid-air and a shriek tumbling out of his mouth, he flailed his arms to and fro before the ball finally fell out of his hand. Losing balance, he yelled again as he made straight for the ground.

His heart hung by the strings when he felt himself stop falling - wait, what?

He had squeezed his eyes shut unconsciously and he was leaning against a hard surface - the wall...? The ground?

"Oi, Sawamura." That amused drawl was unmistakable.

He sprang out of the hold almost immediately. His face was heating up so much he thought it would explode and he was yelling things that he himself didn't even understand. Take deep breaths, Eijun, he told himself, trying to calm his pounding heart. Finally regaining at least some coherence, he asked, "W - what are you doing here, Miyuki?"

The catcher didn't answer him, instead bending to pick up one of the balls that were strewn over the place. "Hmm," he hummed, spinning the ball on the tip of his finger easily, then turning to face Sawamura with a cocky grin on his face, "looks like you've been working hard, baka."

Sawamura's nostrils flared. "Oi, you bastard! Return me that ball!"

"No respect for your senpai?" Miyuki asked, deliberately raising the spinning ball above Sawamura's height, taunting him. Sawamura gritted his teeth and leaped for the ball clumsily, almost stumbling over his feet again. Miyuki chuckled.

"You - you bastard!"

The ball fell into Miyuki's hand swiftly. "You should rest soon, don't over-do it."

"Shut up! I know my limits!"

His brow arched. "Really? I don't think an idiot like you knows anything about the word."

Scowling, Sawamura snatched the ball from Miyuki's grasp and threw it back into the box. Fine! He didn't want to catch for him and now he was here fooling around? What the hell did he want from him?

"Oi, what's with that face?"

Sawamura had no idea what face he was making, but he managed to pull off a cold facade by simply replying, "Nothing."

A pregnant pause.

These silences usually didn't happen with two of them together; Miyuki was always provoking his kouhai and Sawamura always retaliated with one of his loud, obnoxious retorts like he owned the place. Sawamura did not bother to correct the situation, something still nagging at his chest with the image of Miyuki putting his arm around Furuya bugging him incessantly. He picked the balls up quietly and dropped the armful of them into the box.

"All right!" He picked up the box and turned to find the area behind him already empty. Something inside him fell and he felt as if someone poured a bucket of icy water over his entire body. Was he getting sick? He took another deep breath in an attempt to make himself better - he'd have to drink more water when he reached the dormitory later. Honestly, he had expected Miyuki to leave but he didn't expect the catcher to leave _without a damned word_! How rude! Grumbling under his breath, he lifted the box out of the fence and back to the equipment room.

* * *

It was raining today. He felt a grin tug on his face despite the gloomy weather as he started shoving his books into his bag, ignoring the teacher's warning glares. "Class isn't over yet, Sawamura!"

The class laughed at his usual silly antics as he slumped back down to his seat, red coloring his cheeks.

Sawamura hated to admit it, but he was starting to look forward to rainy days. Some way or another, Miyuki would always be there with an umbrella. Sawamura didn't know what he liked so much about it, but the thought of having the arrogant catcher waiting for him made him warm inside.

Not that he would ever say it.

_Ever._

He scrambled down the stairs a few minutes after class ended, a grin stretching on his lips. He would tell Miyuki about how he had improved on his cutter later without his help! Ha! And of course, discipline him on how he shouldn't have left without a word yesterday night. He nodded; it was an excellent idea to carry out. The a flash of white sliced through the sky as he made down another flight of steps before a thunderous clap rumbled through the building, making some girls squeal as he ran past them. His grin didn't falter even as the sound of rain pouring grew louder as he reached the shoe lockers.

"Oi - " he started, but stopped when he realized that certain boy wasn't there. A dent formed between his brows as he scanned around the corners with his eyes as he switched the shoes he was wearing. All right, he would wait for five minutes more - if he didn't reach by then, he was going to leave.

Five turned ten; ten turned fifteen.

Sawamura checked his watch for the umpteenth time. Where the hell was Miyuki? They were going to be late for practice if he continued waiting. He growled. Stupid catcher. Should he risk his pride and message Miyuki? No, no! He shook his head hard, slipping his phone back into his pocket. Scolding himself for even considering it, he reached for the umbrella inside his bag and pushed it to the hilt before leaving the school.

He blew out puffs of white smoke, watching them with mild fascination before shivering and shoving his left hand into his pocket to get some warmth. The walk to the clubroom wasn't as close as he thought it was; it suddenly seemed to stretch too far away. He sighed: he was going to get murdered for his tardiness. Ugh, he had heard that Kuramochi had a new wrestling move he wanted to try this morning.

Wincing, he silently accepted fate that he was probably going to be his senpai's guinea pig to try it out. Oh crap, and Shades, too.

_Too quiet... _

Sawamura looked at the rain splattering on the translucent material of the roof of his light blue umbrella and wondered why he suddenly felt lonely.

* * *

Sawamura slid the umbrella into the holder and swept his right shoulder which had a wet patch carelessly. It wasn't as if it was going to help, but oh well. Beaming at the thought of being able to pitch soon, he gave a loud cheer for himself.

He was preparing to make a dash to the field after flinging his bag on the ground, but a familiar murmur stopped him. Hmm? He peeked around the corner curiously. Oh, Furuya! He opened his mouth to greet him, then snapped it shut when he recognized the back-view of the person facing the monster rookie easily. He pursed his lips, feeling irritation rising up in him again. He didn't want to see this for whatever reason it was and his heart was aching terribly, but his feet refused to move. He could only stand there, arms hanging helplessly by his sides as he watched them.

"Thanks for the umbrella, Miyuki-senpai," Furuya said, scratching his head, almost looking bashful. _What the fuck? Thanks for _what _umbrella? _

Miyuki chuckled. "You were without one. I can't just leave you there, can I?"

_Yes, you can, you fucking bastard! I was_ waiting_ for you!_

"Still, thank you. I would have been late for practice..." What the hell was Furuya doing acting like some shy teenage boy who hadn't hit his puberty yet? Oh man, of course he hadn't! Look at his height!

(Not that Sawamura was tall himself, but he liked to think that he at least had good proportions. And a face that was meant for an ace, too.)

"Haha!" Miyuki slung his arm over Furuya's shoulder - fucking _again - _what the hell? Pulling Furuya to face Sawamura's direction, he ruffled the monster rookie's hair with a grin. Sawamura scrambled back to his hiding place, both his hands in tight fists, nails digging into his palm and leaving imprints. He realized that the first and second year both didn't notice him when Miyuki simply continued, "Why, if Sawamura showed this kind of respect!"

_Oh, fuck you. _

Angrily, Sawamura thanked heavens that he didn't text Miyuki when he was sharing his damned umbrella with his darling _ace _pitcher. Tch, he would never ask for him to catch for him again! With this silent vow in mind, Sawamura stomped away with the intent to find Shades to double his training regime. He was going to beat Furuya no matter what! Then he would look down at Miyuki's shocked face and give him the best evil smirk he could muster.

Yes, it did sound like a good plan.

But something gnawed inside him as the conversation between them kept replaying over and over in his head. Why the hell was he so angry, anyway? He came to the damned school to have Miyuki catch for him but now...

"Fuck!"

* * *

Today was a terrible day. Sawamura flipped over on his bed and sighed, stretching his aching joints.

First, Miyuki shared a damned umbrella with his rival. Honestly, he still had no idea why it bothered him so much. Second, he got a bruise from Kuramochi's new form of wrestling that included pulling him into a headlock and sitting down on his back. Third, he got treated coldly by Shades who told him to just complete the scrolls Chris-senpai gave him first. Fourth, he didn't talk to Miyuki at all today; the two of them just didn't manage to cross paths at all, and the only glimpse he caught of him during practice was him catching for Furuya.

Nope, scratch the last one on the list. It was a good thing that he didn't talk to that bastard; he was feeling too betrayed, anyway, for whatever reason it was.

His phone vibrated beside his pillow. He flipped open his phone, squinting as the brightness of the screen was too much to take in the dark.

_Message from Miyuki_

_Message from Wakana_

Oh, he didn't check his phone for messages just now. Well, Miyuki, you can wait. He felt a strange sense of triumph at clicking on Wakana's message first.

_Hey, Eijun! (:_

_The weather has been rather weird these days, huh? __It keeps raining over here and getting a flu now would be __no joke, seeing that exams __are around the corner for us. We are doing well and everyone is giving their all in __practice. I hope you're doing good over there too! _

Sawamura hesitated for a bit, fingers hovering over the keypad: should he ask her why he was feeling so angry lately? Nah, he deleted his entire message and stared at the blank screen. The letter icon was still there at the top left corner of his screen; he was aching to open that damned text from Miyuki. _No;_ he was going to control scowled as the scene he witnessed near the equipment room surface in his mind for probably the millionth time today. Fuck, can he burn that picture away? He steeled his resolve and typed back a simple reply to Wakana, wishing her all the best for her exams and how he was working hard for the position of the ace, still.

Satisfied with the contents of his text, he hit send and deliberated over the icon for another moment. Oh heck, he would just open it and not reply.

_Are you still awake?_

Ha, he obviously wasn't! He probably just sent the same damned text to Furuya. His fingers clenched around his phone at that thought, then Sawamura huffed; he was not going to pay him any attention.

_No, I'm not!_

He hit send before he could even say 'bastard'. Then a loud moan was out of his lips as he buried his face in his pillow - what had he just done? He wasn't going to reply in the first place!

"Ahhh!" He groaned again. A pillow flew from the top, hitting him right on the face.

"Shut up, Bakamura! Unless you want another wrestling practice!"

Oh, crap, he completely forgot his seniors were there. "Sorry, senpai!"

There was a few irritated grunts but it took only another minute before the grumbles gave out to even breathing again. He heaved a sigh of relief, wiping away the sweat that was dripping down his hairline. Both his senpais were terrifying if someone disturbed them during their slumber.

It wasn't even two minutes later when his phone vibrated in his hands. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Miyuki's name appear on the screen.

_Idiot, you are obviously awake. _

Huh? What? "Oh, Eijun, you idiot!" He hissed to himself when he got what Miyuki meant - someone sleeping wouldn't be able to reply messages! Hmph, he wasn't going to reply him for real, this time.

He tossed and turned on his bed for a few more minutes, then his fingers twitched and his phone was back in his hands again.

_So what?!_

He sent the message, deciding that short messages would do fine. He couldn't resist replying Miyuki's messages but that didn't mean that he would be nice about it. Well, Eijun, he beamed to himself, you are one smart pitcher!

He waited.

Two minutes.

Five minutes.

Then it was fifteen.

Sawamura became restless; Miyuki's replies were fast just now - did he fall asleep? Shit, he shouldn't have replied! Now he was the last person who continued the conversation and it was a question, to make it worse. Oh, idiot, idiot, _idiot!_

He was never going to reply his messages ever again!

A vibration shocked Sawamura, almost causing him to stumble out of his bed. Cursing as quietly as he could under his breath, he reached for his phone and felt his heart fall a little. It was Wakana.

Wait, what was he feeling disappointed for? He couldn't be looking forward to Miyuki's texts, was he?! He shoved the thought away as quickly as it came to him.

Oh well, he yawned; he would reply her tomorrow morning. He checked the alarm he set for tomorrow's morning practice and placed the phone beside his pillow with full intent of going to sleep when a new tremor alerted him of a new text. Damn it, whoever this is - Sawamura didn't finish the threat in his mind when he saw that it was Miyuki.

_Did you bring an umbrella today?_

He scowled, something churning inside him. He was definitely not going to reply to this one - wait, but he should, right? What if Miyuki assumed that he had been waiting for him? That would be plain pathetic. On the other hand, if he acted nonchalant about it, it may seem better... He frowned, going to and fro then he finally decided that he should just pretend that he was sleeping.

Or that there were technical difficulties.

Whatever, he absolutely wasn't going to reply him. He placed the phone a feet away from himself to put at least some distance between him and the annoying piece of device to resist the incomprehensible strong urge to reply to whatever Miyuki sent. Groaning, he buried his head under his blankets and willed himself to sleep.

He would think about this tomorrow.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed and do leave a review to tell me your thoughts! ****I just edited the mistakes I caught but if there are others that I overlooked, or just something you'd like to point out, do let me know!**

**-mysticflakes**


	3. Rain

Chapter 3: Rain

**A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update! I was really, really busy with school but I finally got this done! I hope you'll enjoy the last chapter of this fic - it's really quite long (to me)...**

**On another note, my - you guys really enjoyed Miyuki getting ignored, huh? (smirks)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ace of Diamond.**

* * *

Sawamura exhaled, eyes glinting a fiery orange as he stared at Kariba's mitt.

Fixing his grip accordingly, his right leg raised up high, his feet slammed down on the ground and the ball was out of his grasp, shooting straight into the mitt which echoed in the empty bullpen. For a moment, Sawamura stood there, staring at the seemingly smoking mitt.

Then he pumped his fist to the air.

"_Yosh!_" He yelled, scrambling over to Kariba who was grinning even through his face gear. "That felt good. It's good right, Wataru?"

Kariba nodded, "Yes, it is. Nice pitch!"

"Whoo-hoo!"

"Oi, Sawamura, mind toning down a bit?" The familiar voice successfully distracted him from his cheers and he turned - as expected, Miyuki was leaning against the entrance of the bullpen with his arms crossed, a teasing smirk tugging on his face.

It suddenly felt difficult to breathe. His chest was stifling him, and he took in a trembling breath before pushing it out between his lips. _Calm down, Eijun, calm down. _He whirled back to face Kariba, catching the momentary surprise crossing Miyuki's face but he ignored it. He had been avoiding him as subtly as he could throughout the day, and he daresay he was doing a pretty good job of it - till now.

"Yeah, I will," he replied as evenly as he could, picking up another ball from the basket. "One more!"

"You've pitched over fifty balls already," Kariba said, and Sawamura puffed his cheeks, knowing what he would say next. "Perhaps you should take a - "

"No!" Sawamura cut in, swinging his arms around wildly to show that he was perfectly fine, "I can continue pitching!"

Kariba's eyes flickered over to the figure at the entrance momentarily, then back to Sawamura who looked at him expectantly. "Okay, just five more."

"Wataru," Miyuki's voice carried easily over, "I can take over if you'd like."

Panic gripped Sawamura. He did _not _want Miyuki to be catching for him now - no, he did, but not now. He was feeling uncomfortable looking at him and he just knew he wouldn't have a productive practice if Miyuki did replace Kariba's position.

"Wataru, just help me catch five more balls, please!" He blurted out, then almost squirmed when he felt a heavy gaze burn at his back. God, he should really start thinking before he opened his mouth.

Kariba, in the midst of taking off his head gear, whirled his head around to gape at Sawamura. "Er, sorry?" He was obviously not expecting Sawamura to turn down Miyuki's offer - it was a Seidou baseball team fact that Sawamura _loved _having Miyuki as his catcher.

"Stay," Sawamura repeated. _The harm was already done,_ he comforted himself. "It's okay, Miyuki-senpai, we're about to be done, anyway." He was staring at Kariba who was still not moving from his position and desperately trying to avoid eye contact with Miyuki.

A pregnant silence.

"I see." Miyuki's tone was carefully nonchalant, and he nodded to Kariba. "Go on practicing."

"U - uh..." Kariba trailed off after a few moments, his eyes darting from the empty entrance to Sawamura, face completely confused. "Sawamura, are you sure you...?"

His chest was tightening almost unbearably and there was this strange urge to cry. Oh no, he didn't have a heart condition, right? _No, I don't think so. I'm too young for that. I think._ Sawamura forced a laugh anyway, hitting his own shoulder with his fist and giving a thumbs-up to Kariba. "I'm fine! Let's get on with it!"

"If you say so..." Kariba went back to his position, tugging the gear back on and holding out his mitt.

Sawamura took in a deep breath, twisting the ball in his hand as he lifted his right leg up. _The mitt, Eijun, focus on the mitt. _The mantra kept repeating over and over in his head that evening, but the next few balls he threw obviously lost their previous control and accuracy, and Sawamura could only blame himself, forcing down the welling frustration and desperation inside him.

* * *

That night, Sawamura had a hard time sleeping. He stared at the bunk on top of him and bit down on his bottom lip as he felt a hot tear leak out from the corner of his eye.

_What's he crying for, damn it? _

He sniffed, reaching for the phone and noticing the message icon blinking on his screen display, he got out of his bed stealthily without making a sound and slipped on his sneakers. He glanced back to check on Kuramochi, then pushed the door open and stepped out to the cold.

He massaged his wrist absently as he wiped the stray tear away from his face, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie. It was colder than he had expected and the sky looked like it was about to rain. Shuddering, he contemplated heading back to his dorm for a second but dismissed it as quickly. He was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to sleep anyway.

Walking to the field, his mind kept straying to the messages he had in his phone. Should he pitch the night away? Or run? He sighed as he pushed open the fence and strode to the middle of the field, plopping himself down on the soft grass. Preparing himself, he flipped open his phone and noticed two new messages.

_Text from Haruicchi_

_Text from Miyuki_

"Bastard," Sawamura muttered, though his heart leaped when he saw his name. He clicked on Haruichi's message first, though. He didn't want to provide an embarrassingly fast reply to a certain asshole.

_Eijun, are you sure you're all right? You look off today._

Shit, was he that obvious? He ruffled his hair in frustration, then suddenly something tickled his nose - _HAAA-CHOO! _He flinched when the loud sneeze echoed in the empty field; he sure hoped he didn't wake anyone up with that. Rubbing his nose absently with one hand, he typed his reply with another,

_I'm fine, don't worry, Haruicchi! _

That one was easy. His thumb hovered over Miyuki's text hesitantly and he couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. What was he currently feeling? He didn't even know why he was so affected by him.

"Just click on it, damn it!"

The screen opened and he read with bated breath, heart thudding fast in his chest as his cheeks heated up.

_Brat, what's wrong with you today?_

He stared at it for a minute. Then he groaned, burying his face in his hands. This was not working at all. He had no idea what he was doing. His phone suddenly vibrated again, and he lit up - Haruicchi could probably help him.

Unfortunately - or fortunately - he had no idea which, the new message was from Miyuki. Again. A dent formed between his brows as he pondered over this uncharacteristic move; this was the first time he had sent him another message without waiting for a reply.

_I know you're still up._

The tone sounded annoyed and even threatening, and he felt a chill run up his spine. In a moment of paranoia, he stood up to search for lurking shadows in the darkness, then settled back down when he spotted nothing suspicious, still feeling a little uneasy.

Shit, what should he reply?

_There's nothing wrong, hahaha!_

There, sounded normal enough, right? He sent it, fingers pulling at the grass on the field absently. He couldn't avoid Miyuki forever to find an answer; he made a mental note to look for Haruichi tomorrow. Perhaps it was just him wanting to possess Miyuki as _only _his catcher; he had read that pitchers can be rather selfish, after all. But this seemed quite unlike -

Something cold splashed on his head. "Eek!" He shrieked, leaping up from his position almost immediately. _Crap, it's the rain._ Without wasting another moment, he made a frantic dash for the shelter as the pitter-patter grew increasingly loud with each step; the drops became a heavy downpour in minutes.

He barely made it. Huffing and panting with his hands gripping his knees, he wiped the water away from his forehead and eyes and squinted, not seeing clearly in the dark. Thanks to him normally staying over practice hours, he easily located the light switch and pushed it on.

The large hall flooded with light and he cringed, eyes painfully adjusting to the sudden glare as he went to search for the basket of balls and the net. Quickly positioning them satisfactorily after he found them,

"Grip and control," he whispered to himself, fingers tightening at the seams of the baseball.

_Baseball is always here for you, Eijun. _

* * *

He sneezed into his sleeve again. God, he sounded pathetic.

"Eijun, are you sure you're okay?" Haruichi asked, concern clear in his tone as he put down his chopsticks, finishing his breakfast. "You should go rest if you're not feeling well."

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" He insisted, wiping his nose clumsily. Haruichi frowned, obviously not convinced. Honestly, it was not the sneezes that were bothering him, but his throbbing wrist. He twisted it uncomfortably; he had lost count of the number of balls he pitched as he waited for the rain to stop yesterday - he must have somehow strained it. He rubbed the throbbing region again. Haruichi seemed to notice and shifted closer to observe the slight redness.

_"Eijun._ You've been practicing too much," he scolded, taking the wrist from the pitcher, who scratched his head sheepishly. "Maybe you shouldn't pitch today?"

Sawamura's eyes widened; no way! Haruichi sighed, seeing the expression crossing his face and murmured, "You wouldn't want to over-exert yourself even more."

_"Please,_ Haruicchi, it's a practice game today."

Haruichi paused, his fingers stopping their soothing circles on his wrist. "Eijun," he started carefully, "I don't think you'll - "

His other hand fisted by his side, cutting in before Haruichi could finish his sentence, "I can practice in the bullpen, Haruicchi!" And he would. He would not give up even if he was miles away from achieving the ace number.

Haruichi pursed his lips, obviously disapproving, but he said nothing, pulling him up from his seat. "Let's go. I'll apply some ointment for you though I don't like how you're doing this."

Sawamura cheered. "Thanks, Haruicchi! You're the best!"

"We're going to head to the back for a bit, Furuya, you can go ahead first," Haruichi said as he stacked Sawamura's tray on top of his before the pitcher could protest. "Wait for me, Eijun, and don't strain it anymore. You wouldn't want it permanently damaged."

He sounded so strict that Sawamura blanched, only managing to nod obediently as Haruichi went to keep his tray.

Meanwhile, Furuya finished his meal and stood up, "I'm going to warm-up. Where's Miyuki-senpai?"

Sawamura suppressed the sudden urge to punch him. Miyuki, Miyuki, Miyuki. Shut up about him already - he's _not_ yours. He took in a deep breath to calm himself down. "I don't know."

He spotted Miyuki approaching them from the corner of his eye and almost flinched when Miyuki's eyes landed on him. The usually mischievous spark seemed to be lost in the hazelnut brown eyes, and he swallowed as he quickly looked away, not used to the severity of his expression.

"Eijun, I'm done. Let's go." Haruichi took Sawamura's hand gently and tugged him away. Thank God for the good timing, Haruicchi! He resisted the urge to hug him and nodded eagerly, following after him just as Miyuki reached Furuya.

"Where are they going?" He could hear Miyuki asking Furuya, who shrugged. "Something about the back."

He turned just in time to see Miyuki's expression darkening and his eyes snapped up to meet Sawamura's. Goosebumps prickled his skin when he saw a small tug of Miyuki's lips, eyes never leaving his face as the canteen door closed behind them. He hurriedly caught up to Haruichi, swallowing hard.

Somehow, he knew that Miyuki was angry. And it was not the degree of anger when he confronted him about Chris-senpai, either. It felt _much_ worse than that. He shivered internally as they reached the clubroom, swearing to not be near him today. God, he looked so scary with that smirk..

He closed the door behind them and sat down beside the younger Kominato brother. "Eijun, your hand."

He held it out and watched as Haruichi sighed under his breath and squeezed some ointment out from the bottle, smearing it on the swollen area. "It looks worse," Haruichi commented, massaging the spot.

Sawamura hissed as the pain shot up when he pressed on a certain area and Haruichi looked up, lowering the pressure of his motion a little. "I told you; don't practice today."

"B - but... I feel like the mound would - "

"_Eijun._ You're a pitcher. Learn your priorities," Haruichi snapped, stopping the massage and reaching over to shut the first-aid kit before setting it near their feet. Sawamura squirmed; he didn't want Haruichi to be angry at him, too.

"Sorry, Haruicchi."

There was silence.

Then a soft sigh, "I get what you're trying to do, Eijun. But please learn to take care of yourself, okay?" Haruichi's voice was soft and gentle as he seated himself beside Sawamura who nodded.

"So, what's wrong yesterday? It was obvious that something happened between you and Miyuki-senpai."

Sawamura flinched at his name and he thought he saw a flash of a smile on Haruichi's face, almost looking like Ryousuke in the dim light - nah, not possible. "It was that obvious, huh? Wahahaha!"

_"Eijun."_

He sobered. "Okay."

He started recounted everything from the first time they shared an umbrella, to him waiting for Miyuki and realizing that he had gone ahead with Furuya, then him avoiding him now.

Haruichi was silent for a moment before he shook his head. "You're an idiot, Eijun."

"What?" Sawamura exclaimed, shooting up from his seat before he continued wailing, "Haruicchi! You're supposed to help me!"

"Well," Haruichi looked like he was fighting back a grin as the pitcher stood up, gesturing animatedly, "I guess I can - oof!"

Sawamura had somehow, in his haste, stumbled over the kit and toppled them both onto the floor with Haruichi sprawled clumsily on top of him. Sawamura blinked, staring at the pink-haired first-year whose face reddened at the close proximity.

"Oops," Sawamura said sheepishly, "sorry."

He placed his hands on Haruichi's hips to lift him back up -

_Click._

The two first years jerked, taken off-guard by the sudden sound and whirled around to see who it was. Sawamura froze when he realized who it was.

_Oh shit, he doesn't look happy._

* * *

Haruichi felt his face heat up even more when he suddenly realized how compromising their position looked: both his arms on either side of Eijun's shoulders, a leg wedged between Eijun's and the latter's hands on his hips. Oh God, if what Eijun told him earlier was true... Granted, he had somehow guessed in the canteen just now, and he had held onto Eijun's hand to confirm his suspicions - but even _this _was a little too far.

He quickly scrambled up from the position and saw Miyuki's eyes flash dangerously, though his face remained phlegmatic - which made it ten times scarier. Haruichi resisted a shudder. "It was nothing, senpai, Eijun - "

"Don't be late for morning practice," he said coldly, and Haruichi saw his dark eyes flicker to the still-stunned pitcher on the ground. "Especially you, idiot."

"Asshole!" Eijun instinctively yelled back, and Haruichi saw a sinister smirk curve Miyuki's lips. _I really wouldn't want to be suffering from _his _wrath._

"_Oh, _I sure am one," he drawled. He barked out a laugh, though it sounded nothing like his usual; it was a deep, dark laughter - then he slammed the door shut behind him. Haruichi pursed his lips. Shit, that really had gone terribly wrong.

"Eijun," he whispered urgently to the apparently still clueless pitcher. "Didn't you see his face just now?"

"Yeah, he looks really angry," Eijun said, agreeing, "but I've no idea why."

Haruichi rubbed his face with his palm. _He really is clueless._ "Just explain to him later, okay?"

"What for?" Eijun asked as he glanced at the clock, "Haruicchi! We're going to be late for practice!"

* * *

He had been preparing from the first inning to the last. But Coach never used him; no, not even once. He wiped the sheen of sweat on his forehead as he squeezed his eyes shut, finishing the final lap with no problem. Trudging to the fence, he stared at the members running around the field as he sighed wistfully. If only...

"Practicing with tires really paid off, huh?" The catcher's voice was shockingly close to his ear, warm air tickling his earlobe. Sawamura almost leaped five feet in the air when he realized that he was only _inches _away from his face. Sudden heat flooding to his cheeks, he quickly backed away to put a comfortable distance between them.

Miyuki arched a questioning brow. "What's wrong?"

"N- nothing!" He eyed the approaching regulars as they finished the rounds one by one, and pleaded for any one of them to come and just talk, but they all seemed to have opposing intentions. Was it just him or did Haruicchi deliberately turn away? Kuramochi, too! Usually he would be here putting him into a headlock but this time, he seemed to be intently facing the other direction. What the hell -

"Who're are you looking at?" Without him noticing, Miyuki was right next to him again, draping his arm around his shoulders and pulling him closer to him.

"Eek!" Sawamura shrieked as he almost lost his balance and gripped the catcher's arm to steady himself instinctively. For a moment, he was relieved that he didn't fall.

Then realization struck.

Oh, _shit._

He slowly lifted his head up and saw an undecipherable expression on Miyuki's face as his hands actually steadied him without a single blunt remark. He pulled himself out from his hold and backed away, "Uh - uh, I think my phone's ringing!"

Miyuki's head tilted slightly to the side. "Oh, really?"

"Um - I got to go! It's ringing really loudly!" He jabbed his thumb towards the direction of the dorm. His survival instincts were telling him to run away, but yet he still couldn't move, eyes on the figure in front of him all the while.

He thought he heard a few _"idiot"_s being murmured from the field, but he didn't dare to look over because Miyuki was moving towards him now, almost like he was stalking a prey.

"You're coming with me, Sawamura." The tone left no room for excuses, and by then, he was already wrenching the bewildered and frightened pitcher with him, towing him towards to the clubroom. Sawamura almost choked in his panic, finally turning towards the field and noticed everyone on the field watching them.

"_Help me_!" He mouthed to them, but Kuramochi merely gave a 'good luck' and Haruichi replied with a 'sorry' while the rest of the regulars looked like they were torn between laughing and fearing for him.

Before he could swing his fists at them from the distance - _traitors_ - Miyuki had already pulled him out of view and into the room carelessly, the grip moving down to his wrist when the catcher shut the door. Sawamura winced as the pain shot up his arm.

Miyuki's eyes flickered to the wrist he was holding immediately and loosened his grip. Then a dark look crossed his face when he lifted the wrist for closer inspection. "What happened?"

Sawamura tried focusing on the spot behind him. "Um, I think I practiced too much."

"I warned you," Miyuki said, though his tone was considerably softer now. "Have you applied ointment?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," Sawamura said, "Haruicchi helped me this morning."

He bristled visibly. "Haruicchi."

"Uh, yes, what's the problem?" Sawamura asked, a little confused. The way he spoke his name sounded different from usual.

"What's _your _problem?" He snapped, folding his arms.

"I - I don't have - "

Miyuki stared at him, cutting him off. "Stop lying. You've been avoiding me."

Sawamura sighed, feeling extremely tired all of a sudden. But he didn't know what else he could do to explain his behavior. For once, he took the easy way out. "I haven't," he insisted.

A pregnant pause.

"There's nothing else you can say?" Miyuki asked quietly, arms still crossed.

Sawamura's mouth clamped shut. He shook his head.

A loud exhale was heard from the catcher. Then the click of the door.

Soon, he was alone in the clubroom. Sawamura's fists clenched by his sides, head bowed low as his hair covered his eyes and trying his _damnest _to hold his tears back in, but it was futile.

He gave in, covering his eyes with his arm, shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

* * *

"Oi, it's raining, Sawamura!" Kanemaru said, as he slung his bag over his shoulder, ready to leave for club activities. "Isn't this usually what you look forward to?"

Sawamura rubbed his eyes, straightening himself up on the chair as he stifled a yawn. Kanemaru's eyes widened. "Hey, you look like shit."

The pitcher didn't reply, opting to stare at the rain splattering on the glass windows of the classroom. The cool breeze that made the hairs on his arms stand previously didn't feel as nice as before. Would Miyuki be waiting there? Or will he be with Furuya, _again_? His heart gave a squeeze as he rubbed his face in frustration; he should stop thinking about him.

"Miyuki-senpai?" Kanemaru asked, arching a brow.

Sawamura finally turned to look at him, eyes wide. "N- no!"

Kanemaru rolled his eyes. "You're really obvious, idiot. So what's going on?"

"I don't know. It just doesn't feel good now." Sawamura sighed as he recalled the past few days of practice; granted, he had been the one avoiding Miyuki then, but now that they were _both _going out of their way to stay out of each other's paths, it felt more painful than before. He didn't like it. He didn't understand what the hell was going on. **  
**

"Isn't it apparent?" Kanemaru asked, straddling the chair in front of Sawamura's table to face him. "The solution, I mean."

"I don't think it is," Sawamura said miserably.

Kanemaru's eyes widened. "When he dragged you in there, I thought you two resolved it."

Sawamura rested his head on the table. "No, we didn't."

"Just confess to him already."

The pitcher spluttered, leaping up from his seat. "S- sorry? _What_?"

"You're an idiot through and through." Kanemaru rolled his eyes. "Just hurry and settle this. Your damned mood is affecting the team, stupid."

"But I don't like him th - _that - _"

"Yeah, sure, sure." Kanemaru dismissed him with a wave, then stood up from the seat. "Just stop your damned sulking and _do _something about it!"

Sawamura nodded, picking up his bag. Kanemaru was brilliant - he was right. He should do something about it, shouldn't he? He left the classroom and trudged down the steps, sighing when he reached the near-empty lockers. He didn't even bother searching for the catcher - quietly, he slipped on his shoes and steeled his resolve. He would talk to Miyuki today, no matter what.

"You're late."

His entire body jerked at the familiar voice. It can't be...

"... Miyuki?" He breathed, turning his head slowly. Sure enough, the catcher was there, leaning on the other side of the lockers, umbrella in hand. "Why are you here?"

The catcher ignored his question, straightening from his position and walked to the entrance of the school building. "We've to go soon. Can't be late for practice, can we?" He flashed Sawamura the cheeky grin that he was used to. What was with the sudden change of...? "Hurry up, idiot," he called.

"Shut up!" Sawamura said as he reached him.

The walk was unusually quiet, and the atmosphere was heavy and thick.

"I - _AH-CHOO!_" Sawamura sneezed in the middle of the sentence and he let out a small "egh", rubbing his nose on his sleeve. Miyuki chuckled beside him, draping his arm around him and pulling him closer. The pitcher flushed bright red under his hold.

"I thought idiots don't catch colds," Miyuki said, though his lips twitched in amusement, "stay close. Can't have you catching a cold, can we?"

"I'm not an idiot," Sawamura grumbled, then he sobered. "Miyuki, I - "

"Ah! Look, we're reaching soon, aren't we?"

Sawamura frowned. "Miyuki - "

"I can catch your pitches today," he cut in again.

"_Miyuki!_" Sawamura halted in his steps, one hand clenching on the hem of Miyuki's sweater. The catcher looked momentarily stunned by his bold move, then he recovered as quickly.

"Haha! Sawamura, what's - "

"Stop it," Sawamura said through clenched teeth. He could tell what Miyuki was doing and he sure as hell didn't like it.

Something indecipherable crossed the catcher's face. "What do you want me to do?"

"I didn't want to - I.." Sawamura faltered, releasing his hold on his sweater. Miyuki's fingers clenched around the handle of the umbrella, knuckles white with the pressure.

"Sawamura." His voice was quiet, but it could still be heard under the pitter-patter of the rain on the roof of the umbrella. "I tried giving you an easy way out."

The pitcher's head jerked upwards, and he blinked, not fathoming what he meant.

Miyuki barked out a bitter laugh. "Because you're such an idiot."

"I am _not _an idiot!" Sawamura fumed, "I'm trying to fix things!"

"All right," Miyuki said coldly, "fix it, then." He folded his arms and turned to face him. "I'm waiting."

Sawamura felt something inside him snap. "You're such an asshole! What's _wrong _with you, when I was the one waiting? I waited for you that day when it was raining, did you know? But what did I see when I reached for practice? I saw you and Furuya together!"

Miyuki pursed his lips, but said nothing. Seeing that he had no reply, Sawamura continued,

"I waited, all right? I thought you'd be there, but you were just there sharing a fucking umbrella with Furuya! What did you expect me to think? I was so confused at how angry I was. I didn't even know what to do. Do you know sometimes I even think you dislike or even _hate_ me?" His voice trembled as he averted his gaze to the ground, not daring to look at Miyuki in the eye. "You were always with him. Every single practice. And he was always there going all Miyuki this, Miyuki that. It was fucking annoying - as if you belonged to him! So you've a selfish pitcher in your hands. I'm _sorry!"_ He spat the last bit of his rambles out, chest heaving from his recent outburst. _  
_

"... you thought I hate you?"

"If it isn't, what is - " Fingers gripped his chin and jerked his head up, tingles running down his body and warming his cheeks. His hand instinctively reached to wrap around the catcher's wrist to pull him away. But the look on his face stopped him - it was nothing he had seen before; the usually cheeky facade replaced with a tense, serious demeanor, eyes hard on his as his jaw clenched.

His heart was slamming so hard against his ribs, and he could only swallow the lump in his throat.

_"Eijun,"_ Miyuki murmured; his name rolled off his tongue beautifully, elegantly. "What I feel is far from hate."

Far from hate...? He blinked, a little dazed. Miyuki's face was _so _close, and he didn't know when, but both his hands were gently grasping both sides of his face and the rain was pouring down on them both. Their clothes were drenched and soaked through, but Sawamura could only hear the pounding of his own heart, each breath they took and the familiar spicy scent that washed over him along with the refreshing smell of the rain.

Sawamura instinctively squeezed his eyes shut.

Then warm lips pressed against his forehead, feeling warmth spreading throughout his body. Sawamura opened his eyes cautiously as Miyuki pulled away, an amused smirk tugging on his lips.

"My, where did you think I was about to kiss?"

His cheeks flamed red. "S - shut up!"

"Oh my dear Sawamura, you've to specify," Miyuki said, ruffling the glowering pitcher's hair. Sawamura growled, making a move to shove him, but he ducked away from his hands easily.

"Come on, let's go for practice," Miyuki said, chuckling. There was a momentary hesitation, then the catcher grasped his wet hand in his, picking up the umbrella with another.

Sawamura was far too focused on the hand holding his to continue his pursuit. Instead, he reveled how secure he felt with his hand holding his, even as the rain pelted down on them both.

Then the catcher turned, and there was a small smile curling his lips as he tugged on Sawamura's hand. "Hurry, you idiot, we're gonna be late."

* * *

**OMAKE:**

Miyuki took Sawamura's bag from him, seeing him almost falling over his own feet when he reached the last step of the stairs. "Haha, idiot, you don't want a klutz to be added, I'm sure."

"Shut up! I can take my own bag!"

He rolled his eyes. "Just go and wear your damned shoes."

The pitcher grumbled under his breath as he did as he told, and Miyuki could feel his own lips quirking up; he was really quite adorable. He shifted the bag on his shoulder; it was surprisingly heavy. "What do you have inside your bag?" He asked as he unzipped it.

"Obviously textbooks and - " The pitcher suddenly stood up, almost falling over his own shoes. "Wait, don't - "

Miyuki felt his lips curling up. Ah, so he _did _bring his own umbrella. "Don't you've something to tell me?" He waved the umbrella, enjoying the red burning Sawamura's cheeks as he stomped over to snatch his bag away.

"Asshole!"

"So all the while, you've been bringing your own umbrella?" Miyuki asked, arching a brow. Sawamura huffed indignantly, and that answered his question. This was just priceless; his pitcher was really quite unpredictable. He draped an arm around the obviously flustered Sawamura and ruffled his hair, deciding he should just let it go this once.

"You can stop bringing it, though," Miyuki drawled, placing the umbrella back into his bag. "C'mon, let's go."

Sawamura blinked, obviously confused by what he meant by not bringing his umbrella anymore. "Huh?"

Miyuki flashed him a grin. "Don't try understanding that, your head would hurt."

"Bastard!"

* * *

**A/N: So there's the end. I hope you guys liked this. I have a tumblr account up where I write mostly Miyusawa one-shots: everydropofink . tumblr. com**

**Do check it out if you're interested! **

**On another note, I was thinking of doing a politician Miyuki and Eijun. It does seem rather fun to write..**

**Please leave a review to tell me your thoughts - feedback is always appreciated! **

**-mysticflakes**


End file.
